Influnce of Chemical Treatment of Rapeseed Meal Diets on the Peromance and Nutient Utilization in Broller Chicken*

Rape seed meal (RSM) pretreated with CuSO₄.SH₂O (4g/kg feed) and FeSO₄.TH₁O(l0g/kg feed) separately or in combination without or with supplemental iodine @ 6.67mg/kg RSM and incorporated in the diet at 15 per cent level for part of the soybean meal and deoiled rice bran fed to three hundred eighty four chicks randomly distributed into eight groups of quadruplicate lots of 12 each reared front 0–42 days of age. Birds fed copper treated RSM without or with supplemental iodine attained significantly (P<0.01) more body weight than those fed either control or raw RSM diet. Chicks fed raw RSM weighed significantly (P<0.01) less to those of chicks fed either of chemically treated RSM diet. There was no benefit of supplemental iodine. The mean feed in take of chicken in different dietary treatments remained similar. Birds fed copper treated RSM diet showed significantly (P<0.01) better feed conversion. The dressing weight was signiflcantly (P<0.05) better in the groups of birds fed chemically treated RSM. The percent eviscerated weight and giblet weights were similar by chemical processing. There was a significant (P<0.05) improvement in the digestibility of different nutrients due to chemical processing of RSM with higher retention of various nutrients in the birds. It can be concluded that chemical processing of RSM was effective in detoxifying the RSM to a considerable extent that treated meal could be beneficially utilized as a protein supplement up to 15 per cent in the diet of broiler chicken up to 42 days age.